The Bay Foundation’s (TBF) Boater Education Program’s Honey Pot Day returns for the boating season, educating Southern California recreational boaters about proper sewage waste disposal and offering participants a 30% discount for one mobile pumpout service. In its 10th consecutive year, Honey Pot Day is provided from June 1 – August 31, 2018 in four SoCal harbors: Marina del Rey, King Harbor (Redondo Beach), Port of Los Angeles, and Port of Long Beach. It is available to both Northern and Southern California boat owners.

The program was established in 2009 to reduce levels of bacteria in local harbors. Dumping one toilet flush of untreated boat sewage can cause the same environmental impacts as 10,000 flushes from a homeowner’s toilet, once that waste is treated by a municipal sewage treatment plant (San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board, 2009). The coupon code will help boaters to properly dispose of sewage and keep our local waterways clean.

"Honey Pot Day is an invaluable asset for local boaters,” comments Anthony del Rosario, Dockmaster, California Yacht Marina Wilmington. “It empowers them to acknowledge the adverse impacts of improperly discharging sewage directly into the waters while serving as a catalyst that inspires stewardship. I've noticed a shift to embrace clean boating with my tenants who've participated in the program and couldn't be more thrilled about this."

Since its initiation, nearly 1,200 boaters have signed up for the program and been educated about the impactful and adverse effects of discharging sewage directly into waterways and over 30,000 gallons of sewage (the equivalent to 950,000 flushes from a home toilet) were properly disposed. With the combination of pumpout facilities, mobile pumpout services, and educational programs such as Honey Pot Day—all elements of TBF’s program—boaters increase their knowledge and understanding behind proper waste disposal, which directly benefits local water quality.

“Californian’s care for our environment! Everyday millions of us make smart choices and take the extra steps to preserve our treasured land and water,” states Tom Ford, TBF Executive Director. “Honey Pot Day helps California boaters take the extra step to protect clean water, keeping our water safe for swimming and wildlife. My thanks to the boaters who, through this program, will do their part to… Pump it! Don’t dump it!”

To sign up for the program, boaters should visit www.honeypotday.org, which includes directions to a short video on how to operate a sewage pumpout unit, two brief publications to read, and an online quiz. For more information on the Honey Pot Day program, contact Georgia Tunioli at gtunioli@santamonicabay.org.

Honey Pot Day is funded by the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways Clean Vessel Act Education Program and a Federal Clean Vessel Act grant through the Sport Fish Restoration Program. Federal Clean Vessel Act grants are funded by your purchases of fishing equipment and motorboat fuel.